Owa-Onire Community Urges Governor AbdulRasaq to Reconsider New Road Project
According to a news report from New Telegraph, residents of Owa-Onire community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have called upon Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to abandon plans for constructing a 21-kilometre road leading to Owu Waterfalls, deeming it unnecessary expenditure.
In a statement issued by the Concerned Indigenes of Owa-Onire community, jointly signed by coordinator Mr. Adebola Ogunbiyi and spokesperson Sunday Akanbi, the community suggested that the government should instead focus on completing the original route to the waterfall, which was initiated in 2008 under the administration of former Governor Bukola Saraki.
This plea comes just three days after the state executive council sanctioned a new contract for the construction of a 21-kilometre road to Owu Falls, with an initial phase costing over N3.9 billion.
According to the community members, the original contract initiated by Saraki's administration is already 20% completed, advocating for its continuation rather than launching a fresh project for the same purpose.
The group added that the initial contractor, “Bulletine construction company Nigeria Limited has worked and asphalted three kilometres of the 15-kilometre Owu-falls road project.
“Only three kilometres out of the 15km road stretch (representing only 20 per cent) from Iwo/Sabaja-Isin to Oba-Isin was tarred while the remaining 12-km from Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu falls was only opened up to the foot of the waterfall and eventually abandoned since 2010 after millions of Naira had been committed to the project”, they said.
The people said that the state government was deceived into awarding another contract by some politicians they described as selfish.
“In terms of distance, the remaining 12-km road is shorter than the fresh 21-km road with a difference of 9km. This 12-km road from Owa-Onire leads right to the foot of the falls without having to alight from vehicle and trek certain hilly distance, unlike the other proposed road.
“Not less than 10 communities along this 12km linear road will have it pass through them and benefit directly (Ijara-Isin, Iji-Isin, Owu-lsin, Sabaja-Isin, Oba-Isin and Owa-Onire) or serve indirectly (lwo-Isin, Kudu Owode, Pamo-lsin, Odo-Ore) and could prompt swift growth in their social-economic development.
“The geophysical nature of the 12km 0ba-Isin-Owa-Onire Owu-Falls road makes it less hilly thereby making its construction less laborious unlike the other proposed road”, they posited.
“In terms of cost of construction, one needs no soothsayer to know that the short distance of 12km 0ba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road with easy geophysical nature will certainly have its cost of construction reduced to the barest minimum as compared to a longer 21-km road with more mountainous hilly terrain.
“More glaring is the fact that the 12km Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road has been in use and is currently still in use by tourists to visit the great Water Falls”, they argued.
They reminded the Governor of his promise on Sunday, December 15, 2019 to complete the abandoned 15km road.
“We see this as very unfair and we abhor it. In view of all the above highlighted reasons, Owa-Onire Community is hereby appealing to Governor AbdulRazaq and the innermost conscience of the state government to revisit the issue of Owu-Falls road construction project with a view to righting the wrongs by also awarding the construction and completion of this 12km Oba-Isin-Owa-Onire-Owu-Falls road to a serious and competent contractor that will ensure its completion with fiat to avoid a repeat of the abandonment it suffered during the former Governor Bukola Saraki administration.
Recall that Owu falls is the highest waterfall in West Africa measuring 120 metres above water level and cascading 330 feet down an escarpment a major boost for tourism in not just the state but in Nigeria and West Africa subregion.
Cloud Tag: What's trending
Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.
Haruna Tambiri Mohammed Ilorin Descendants Progressive Union Olokoba Sulyman Offorjama Muhammad Yahya Gbugbu International Market Kupchi Hosea Maxwell Summit University Fulani Ashiru Ahmad Fatima Bisola Oke Sunna Aliyu Umar Saka Aleshinloye Yahaya Dumoye Mamman Saba Jibril Manzuma Ishola Moses Abiodun Dan Masanin Toyin Olayinka Tejidini Afusat Nike Ibrahim Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency Aremu Odolaye Academic Staff Union Of Universities Abdulquowiyu Olododo Balogun Ajikobi ARMTI Abdulkareem Alabi Babatunde Idiagbon Baba Issa Awoye Yekini Adio Ola Falade FERMA Kwarareports Amos Justus Sayo Veterinary Teaching Hospital Gwanara Kehinde Boyede Baba Idris Orisun Igbomina Taofik Abdulkareem Olugbense Oju Ekun Sarumi Alfa Modibbo Belgore AGM Professional Services Garba Ayodele Wahab Kwara Liberation Group Yekeen Alabi Offa Poly Lawyers Unite Against Corruption Anilelerin Abubakar Lah AbdulHamid Adi United Nigeria Congress Party Salihu Alhaji Musa Tunji Arosanyin Sulyman Abdulkareem Adebayo Mohammed Kamaldeen Coalition Of Kwara North Groups Balogun Fulani Dan Iya Bio Ibrahim Rachael Obisesan Saadu Yusuf Taofik Abiodun Ahmed Wahab Issa Mutawali Awili Pedro Matthew Babaoye Sunset Workers Jani Ibrahim Ibrahim Gambari Yoruba Baruba Shero Gbajabiamila Bisi Oyeleke

